Supervised electric system



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY March 16, 1937. H. c. GRANT. JR

SUPERVISED ELECTRIC SYSTEM Original Filed Oct. 23, 1931 8 7 M w a M a m k F .e m. m M m- A :l .mmwlll WW F 9o 5 e {I rm 0- f .T .T ||l| m5 h A a c a fig III 6 Cill. 5 a v Z 7 6 5 6 6 M M 1| am 3 n y H 3 6 M 6 K w m mm w r r r k m r M r w 6 w e z nu 4 a. W w P p 4 6 I IIFll.

FIGURE HA/eeY CAMPBELL GRANT Je.

March 16, I937. H. c. GRANT. JR 2,074,261

SUPERVISED ELECTRI C SYSTEM Original Filed Oct. 23, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hal/RE Z F/GURE 3 INVENT OR Hmv 64mm 6m; J74. BY

ATTORNEY A Patented Mar. 16, 1937.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE signor to Walter Kiddo In Company, Ina, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Yuk 1" Original application Oetober as, 1931, Serial No.

Divided and um application Novembet 1, 19:2, Serial No. cum I 4 Claim- (01. 111-352),

The present invention is a division of applicant's copending application, Ser. No. 581,172, filed December 15th, 1931, forfSupervised electric systems", which is in tln'n a division of applicants copending application Serial No. 572,783, filed October 23rd, 1931, which is now abandoned, and embodies that portion of the system illustrated and described in the above copending applications which relate to the general method of battery charging; battery supervision, and main supply supervision described therein. It will be apparent that the circuits embodying these particular features may have wide application and an object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a general method of battery charging, battery supervision, and main supply supervision.

It is also an object of this invention to provide asystem which can be electrically energized either by a main source of electrical potential, or by a secondary source of electrical potential normally under charge from the main source, the system likewise being capable of energization simultaneously by both of the sources of potential.

,Further objects of this invention will appear as the same is described more fully in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatical representation of an alarm system constructed and arranged in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a simplified diagrammatical representation of a portion of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatical representation of that portion of Figure 1 which specifically relates to the present invention.

At the outset, the general electric system which is supervised and energized in accordance with the present invention will be described in order that the present invention may be more fully understood and its wide application appreciated.

In the system shown the reference numerals l and 2 represent the positive and negative terminals of a secondary source of electrical energy in the form of a battery 3, which is protected by fuses l and 5 and which is normally under charge, in a manner hereinafter to be described, from a main source of electrical energy, the positive and negative terminals of which are shown at 6 and I.

At A there'are shown the terminals of a socalled external" circuit containing normally closed circuit opening thermostats 8. B, C, D, ,etc., indicate the terminals of additional external circuits, all of which are connected in series in the following manner: current flowing from the positive line through the wire 9, the ground detector relay ll, the resistance H, one side, l2, of

the external circuit A, the other side, ii, of the external circuit A, then in series through the external circuits B to J inclusive, the line H, the fire alarm relay I! and the line it to the negative line.

The circuit'iust described and the battery I are connected in parallel with the main supply terminals 6 and Lthe latter normally supplying the energizing current for said circuit and the charging current for the battery, the positive and negative Junction points beingat l1 and IS.

The path of thecharging current for the battery is from the main supply terminal 6 through the armature I! of the main supply supervising relay 2!, the contact 2|, the charging resistances 22 and 22, the wire 2|, through the battery, the wires, 22 and 52, the armature 31, the contact 22 and the wire 22 to the main supply terminal I.

At 2 is shown the battery supervising relay which is connected to the positive terminal of the battery by the wire 21 and to the negative terminal of the battery by the wire 39.

, When a system in accordancewith the present invention has been installed and is to be made ready for use, the reset switch 4! is closed,'whereupon current flows from the positive terminal of the battery through the wire ll, the switch 42, the wire 42, the main supply supervising relay 22, and the wires 42 and 2. to the'negative terminal of the battery. This results in energization of the main supply supervising relay 22, causing closing of the contacts 2| and 22. Upon intentional reopening of the switch 42, which is therefore preferably of the push-button type, the main supply supervising relay 2. will be found to be connected across the main-supply terminals 6 and 1 through the armature II, the contact 2|, the wire 44, the contact 45, the armature 46, the wire 41, the resistance l8, and the wires 4!, 42, 42 and ill, the armature 2|, the contact 22 and the wire 32 th holding the relay 2| energized.

By reason of the herein-referred to flow of current through the external circuits from the Junetion point 11 to the junction point l2, the fire alarm relay i5 is normally energized, but assoon as a fire occurs in a space protected by an external circuit, as for example in the space indicated by the thermostat {onthe external circuit A, the circuit between the junction points I1 and I8 is broken by the opening 01 the thermostat, whereby the fire alarm relay Ii is deenergized. This results in the closing of the contacts SI and 52 by the armatures I2 and i4, whereupon fire alarm "signals'are rendered in the following manner.

The reference numeral It represents the fire alarm gong which is normally located at the central fire alarm station. This gong is sounded by reason of current flowing from the positive line through the wires 56, 51, 58 and 59, the contact 5 52, the armature 54 and the wire 60 to the negative line. At the same time the fire alarm lamp 5|, normally located at the central fire alarm station, is illuminated by current flowing from the positive line through the wires 56, 52, 53 and 58, the

contact 52, the armature 54, and the wire 60 to the negative line.

In certain types of installations, for example on board ships, it is advisable to signal the presence of fire to the engine room or some other location than the central fire alarm station, which is normally in the wheelhouse or chart room of the ship. For this purpose there is provided a second fire alarm gong 54, which becomes energized by current flowing from the positive through the wire 65, the auxiliary fire alarm gong 54, the wire 56, the fuse 51, the wire 58, the contact 5|, the armature 53, and the wire 50, to the negative line.

As soon as the presence of fire is made known by any one or more of the means provided, the fire-watch attendant immediately proceeds to the central fire alarm station, at which point he will find on the operating panel a number of switches corresponding to the external circuits A to J inclusive. The switch for the external circuit A has been indicated by the reference numeral 69A. The switches i'or the other external circuits, although not numbered in Figure 1, will be referred to as 59B, 59C, etc. It will be noted that these switches are normally open and are so arranged as to short-circuit the external circuits when the switches are closed, The first thing the fire-watch attendant does is to start closing the switches 59A, 59B, 890, etc. beginning with the switch 69A, and allowing the switches to remain closed until the switch is reached which causes the fire alarm gong 55 to stop sounding and the fire alarm lamp 5| to be extinguished. Since the switches 68A and 893, etc., when closed, short-circuit the external circuits, the switch which resulted'in the removal of the fire alarm signals by re-energlzation oi the fire, alarm relay l5 and the consequent re-opening of the contacts 5| and 52, is the switch which serves to indicate the presence of fire on the circuit to which it corresponds. Y

If it be mumed, for example, that a fire-has thus been located on the external circuit H, it

may happen that a fire has also occurred on one of the circuits A to G inclusive. The Fire-Watch attendant accordingly allows the switch "H to remain closed, and then proceeds to re-open the switches 59G, 59E, 69E, etc in the order named. Ii no fire has occurred on any of the external circuits A to G inclusive, all of the switches, with the exception 01' switch 893, can be reopened without further fire alarm signals, and the closed switch 89H will indicate the circuit on which the fire-watch attendant and his assistants must searchtor fire.

If, however, a fire has. occurred on other of the circuits, the re-opening of the switch corresponding to such circuit will result in tire alarm signals, and the switch will accordingly have to be closed again so that the remainder or the circuits can be testedin like manner. It will, of course, be understood that the switches which finally remain closed serve as indications oi the circuits on which fire must be looked 101'.

7'5 It will accordingly be seen that the single fire alarm relay [5 serves the purpose not only of instituting the fire alarm signals, but also assists directly in locating the circuit or circuits on which fire has occurred, without the need of indicating relays for each oi. the external circuits.

It will, 01' course, be understood that the occurrence of a wire break in any of the external circuits will turn in fire alarm signals, but the existence of a wire break will not become apparent until after an unsuccessful search for the presence of fire on the circuit indicated.

It has already been mentioned that the external circuits are protected against the occurrence of grounds, and the relay ID has already been referred toss the ground detector relay, which relay is normally not energized by the relatively small supervisory current which fiows through the external circuits from the junction point I! to the junction point I8, the voltage drop across the relay l0 and the resistance ll being only a fraction of the total drop fromv the junction points I! to l8 by reason of the far greater resistance of the fire alarm relay l5 in the same series circuit.

It is customary in ship installations to have the ships electrical circuits ground clear but this condition rarely exists. At times the ships negative may be grounded and shortly after this the ground may be changed from negative to positive. The relative position of the ground on a ships generator and various points of the circuit in accordance with the present invention will cause different indications to be given at the central control station.

Inorder to clarify the discussions which'follow, let it be assumed, by way of example, that a ship has a 220 volt supply and that the battery 3 of the present invention is a '40 volt battery.

If, therefore, any one of the wires of any of the external circuits becomes grounded, while at the same time the positive side oi the main power supply is normally grounded, a much greater than normal voltage is applied across the ground detector relay II and the resistance II, where- I upon the ground detector relay is energized and the contact at 45 is opened, the circuit for the ground current being from the positive side oi the power supply 5 through the ground to the external circuits A, B, etc... thence through the resistance II and the ground detecting relay II to the positive line at the junction point II, which is of considerably less potential than the positive side of the main power supply 5, as previously.

explained. The opening of the contact 45 directly interrupts the already described energizing circuit of the main supply supervising relay,- 20, whereupon the latter is tie-energized, opening the contacts at 2| and 3!, for a purpose which will appear hereinafter, and closing the contact at H The latter action results in the sounding of the troublegong 12 and the illumination of the trouble lamp 13, by reason of-current flowing from the positive terminal of the battery through the wire 14, then in parallel through the trouble gong l2 and the trouble lamp 13, then through the wires 15 and I5, the contact H, the armature 3|, and the wires 55 and II to the negative terminal of the battery. The sounding of the trouble gong I! can be stopped by opening the switch 11, but the trouble lamp will remain illuminated.

If, on the other hand, any one of-the wires of any of the external circuits should become grounded, while at the same time the negative side 01' the main power supply is normally grounded, the fire alarm relay l5 will be shortcidcuited, by reason of the normal connection of one side of the flre alarm relay to the negative line and the connection of the other side of the flre alarm relay to the series connection of the external circuits, whereby the full normal voltage between the junction points i1 and it will be applied across the ground detector relay l0 and the resistance ll, so that the ground detector relay is energized and the main supply supervising relay is de-energized in the manner already described in connection with the occurrence of a ground when the positive side of the main power supply is normally grounded. In this instance the circuit for the current flowing 15 when a negative ground occurs is from the positive line at the Junction point l1, through the ground detecting relay, the resistance H and the external circuits, and then through the ground to the negative side of the main power supply. The already mentioned short-circuiting of the flre alarm relay l5 results in its momentary de-energization, but this relay will again be energized and the ground detector relay in will be de-energized when the ground is removed in the manner about to be explained.

Although it is one of the purposes of the main supply supervising relay 20 to indicate the faflure of the main supply, whereby the relay would be de-energized and the trouble signals given in i the manner already explained, the most important function of the relay 20 is to break the circuit between the fire alarm system and the main supphr on both sides by the opening of the above mentioned contacts II and 32, thus removing the ground from the main circuit and allowing the battery to re-energize the flre alarm relay l5, so that dangerous currents often flow-' ing for ground conditions will be interrupted. For this reason the relay 10 is not arranged to 40 pick up on the main supply voltage directly, but, if de-energized, is required to be reset manually by the reset switch 40, as otherwise, upon deenergization of the relay 10 due to a ground with consequent breaking of the ground circuit, the relay 20 would be re-energized and thus bring back the ground, with the result that the relay would buzz rapidly and burn oif either ofthe contacts 2l or 32, depending on the relative location of the grounded points. The relay 2' has also a third function, which best mentioned at this time, in that the breaking of the circuit between the flre alarm system and the main supply upon failure of the main supply prevents the battery from discharging back into '55 the main supply lines, the battery now serving as the main and only source of energy.

It is to be understood that the detection of grounds in accordance with the present invention depends upon normal grounding of the positive or negative of the main source of electrical supply, either directly or through a ground resistance of a ground detector arrangement such as is sometimes employed, and which consists of two lamps connected in seriw with each other and across the main supply, the connection between the lamps being normally grounded, so that each of the lamps is a referred to ground resistance, and whereby grounding of either line at any point gives a ground signal by causing the extinguishing of the corresponding lamp and the brightening of the lamp corresponding to the other line.

In view of the fact that the auxiliary flre alarm gong N is normally located 'at some dis- 5 tancefromtheoentralflrealarmstation. defects can easily occur in the external leads to the auxiliary flre alarm gong, and this gong is accordingly supervised by means of the auxiliary gong supervising relay ll, current flowing from the positive line through the external gong lead 6!, the auxiliary flre alarm gong N, the external gong lead 66, the fuse G1, the wire 18, the auxiliary gong relay 1!, and the wire to the negative line.

If now the main supply is normally grounded on the negative side, and if a ground occurs in the external gong lead 86, the auxiliary gong supervising relay 1. will be short-circuited and consequently tie-energized, whereby the armature 8| will close the contact at 82, and the trouble gong and trouble lamp will be operated by reason of current flowing from the positive line through the wire-14, the trouble gong and trouble lamp in parallel, the wire 83, the contact 82, and the armature I to the negative line. At the same time the auxiliary gong 64 will sound clue to the cutting out of the high resistance of the supervising relay 18. If, however, a ground occurs in the external gong lead 65, such ground will constitute a direct short-circuit across the battery I and one of the fuses l and 5 will blow out, whereupon the battery supervising relay 36 will be actuated and will give the trouble signal in a manner hereinafter to be described.

If, instead of the main supply line being normally grounded on the negative side, it is normally grounded on the positive side, a ground in the external gong lead 68 will cause the auxiliary gong to sound by reason of the increased voltage to which it will be subjected, the circuit for the ground current being from the positive side of the main power supply at 6 through the ground to the external gong lead 66, and thence through the gong windings, the external gong lead 65 and the wire 58 to the positive line, which is of considerably less potential than the positive side of the main power supply 6, as already explained. On the other hand, if the external gong lead 65 'becomes grounded, the increased voltage on the entire system will cause the battery supervising relay 36 to be actuated and the trouble signal given in a manner hereinafter to be described. In'this instance the full potential of the positive side of the main power supply is applied to the positive line throughthe ground on the external gong lead 88 and the wire 56, instead of the normal battery voltage. .At the same time the abnormally high charging current will cause one of the fuses 4 and 5 to blow, thus protecting the battery against excessive charge.

The external gong leads are not only protected against grounds in the manner already described, but likewise against direct short-circuits of the leads. Such a short-circuit is normally undetected, but as soon as a flre alarm signal is given, the short-circuit of the auxiliary gong leads constitutes a direct short-circuit of the battery, whereupon the fuse 61 or one of the battery fuses 4 and 5 will be blown out, and the battery supervising relay 38 will-be actuated and the trouble signal given in a manner now about to be described.

While the main supply supervising relay 20 is normally energized, the battery supervising relay 38, which is connected across the terminals of the battery 3, is not actuated by the normal battery voltage, but is designed to be actuated upon a considerable increase in voltage across the relay winding.

sis

It has already been explained that the external circuit between the Junction points ii and II, and the battery 3, are connected in parallel across the main supply terminals 6 and I, so that normally ,5 the main supply terminals provide the supervisory current flowing through the external circuit and the charging current fiowing into the battery. When, however,.a fire alarm or trouble alarm is given, the increased current required by 10 the alarm gongs is greater than can be supplied by the main supply. The charging current normally flowing into the battery-therefore reverses itself and the battery supplies the excess current required when alarm conditions arise.

It now the battery should fail for any reason, not only will the battery supervising relay 26 be actuated and give the trouble signals, but a por tion of the charging resistance 22-22 will be cut out oi the main supply line, so that the main supply will be capable of supplying increased current required when alarm conditions arise.

The battery supervising relay it is actuated upon failure of the battery, both when the system is .in its otherwise normal condition and when fire alarm or trouble alarm conditions exist. The manner in which the battery supervising relay is thus actuated will be better understood if it is kept in mind that the voltage across the relay winding is normally .the same as the voltage across the battery and across the external circuit between the junctions l1 and It. In the system herein-described, the --resistance of the external circuit is considerably greater than the internal resistance of the battery, and is also somewhat greater than the value of the charging resistance 22-22. It also happens that in the system described the internal resistance of the battery is less than the value of the charging resistance 22-28. When, therefore, the battery fails for any reason with the substitution of practically infinite resistance in place of the nor- .mally small internal resistance oi. the battery, a

considerably increased voltage drop will occur across the external circuit, due to the fact that removal'of the batterycharging current load will reduce 'the voltage drop: across the charging resistance 22-22, and this increased voltage, occurring likewise across the winding or the relay 28, will cause the relay to pick up its armatin'es 84' and 85 and close the contacts at It and 21. The trouble signals will then be given by rmon of current flowing fromthe positiveline-through the wire 14 and the trouble gong and trouble lamp in parallel,- the wires "and 88, the resistance 22, the contact 81, the armature 85 and the wires It to the main supply terminal I. Instead, however, of the connection from the main supply beingthroughthe charging resistance 22-22. the increased current which the main supply is called upon to supply when the fire or trouble songs are sounded, requires that part 01' the charging ce be by-passed, and it will accordingly be found that the portion 22 of the charging resistance. 22-23 is short-circuited by '65 ciodng of the contact 86, the path of the shortcircuit being from one side of the resistance 22 through the wires 24 and 21, the armature 24, the contact 22, and the wire ll to the other side of the resistance 22. If now the trouble gong be stopped by opeuing' the switch i1, additional resistance must be drawn-intothe circuit to protect the trouble lamp l2 andthis additional resistance will be found at 22, so that the trouble lamp is energized in a series circuit including the 75 N and 22. a

The method of operation of the battery supervising relay just explained can more easily be seen in Figure 2, in which the reference numerals correspond with the reference numerals of Figure 1. Figure 2 shows the external circuit and the battery I normally connected in parallel across the main supply leads 6 and I.- In view of the already mentioned relationship of resistance values of the various circuit elements, a smaller voltage drop occurs across the external circuit and the battery 2 than across the charging resistance 22-22, the resistance of a parallel circuit always being less than the resistance of the smallest resistance circuit, which is the battery circuit in the present case. Failure of the'battery with consequentincrease in resistance approaching infinity increases the resistance of the parallel circuit to that of the external circuit, which is'greater than that of the charging resistance 22-23, so that a greater voltage drop occurs across the external circuit, instead of across the c a ging resistance 22-22, which is the normal condition. Consequently, the battery supervising relay it picks up on this increased voltage and eflects operations already fully described.

It must of coursebe understood that the main supply now furnishes current at an increased voltage across the entire fire alarm system. Consequently] the ground detector'relay it must be so designed with respect to the fire alarm relay II that, except when groundsoccur inthe externalcircuits, the voltage drop across the relay I0 is only a fraction of the'voltage drop between the junction points I1 and I8. If thls feature is not provided for, failure of the battery with resultant increased voltage on the fire.

alarm system. as already describedwould cause energization of the ground detector relay l0 and de-energization of the main. supply supervising relay 2., with consequent cutting of! of the main supply. This would mean that the systemwould beabsolutely dead andinoperative and would give neither fire nor trouble=signals.

. exist.

Referring now to Figure 3, in which the same reference numerals have been used as in Figure 1, it will be readily seen that the particular arrangement here shown, and embodying the present invention, is independent of the particular type of electric alarm or signaling system to be used in conjunction therewith, so that the present invention is capable of wide application in condunction with other specific types of electric systems.

In Figure 3 the positive and' negative supply leads are shown at lliland Ilil respectively. The contacts at the ground protective relay, in electric systems in which such a relay is re quired,areconnectedtotheleadsl1 and 44 respectively. At I02 isshown diagrammatically amainsom-ceofelcctricalenergy.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have made variousimprovements in electric alarm systems ofthe general, type referred to and it is to be understood that the present invention-while it has been described with specific reference to the accompanying In connection with the resistances and 48,

cuit,a secondary source of appreciably less electric potential than theprimary source and normally under trickle charge from the primary source, and means responsive to failure of the secondary source for rendering part of the current j limiting means inoperative, whereby a greater current than the trickle charge current may be supplied to the circuitfrom the primarysource.

2. In an electrical supply arrangement for use with an electric circuit, a primary source' of electric potential, a current limiting resistance in circuit between the primary source and the electric circuit, a secondary source of appreciably less electric potential than the primary source and normally under trickle charge from the primary source, and means responsive to failure of the secondary source for short-circuiting a portion of the current limiting resistance, where- ,by a greater current than the trickle'charge electric circuit, a secondary source of appreciably less electric potential than the primary source and normally under trickle charge from the primary source, said secondary source having an "electrical resistance smaller than that of said electric circuit, a normally inactivesupera, 5 vising relay connected in parallel with the secondary source and responsive to failure .of the secondary source, and a normally open contact controlled bysaid relay and adapted to shortcircuit a portion of the current limiting resistance, whereby a greater current thanvthe trickle charge current may be supplied to the circuit from the primary source.

4. In an electrical upp y arrangement for use with an electric circuit, a primary source of electric potential, a current limiting resistance in circuit between the primary scm-ce and the electric circuit, a secondary source of appreciably less electric'potentialthan the primary soin-ce and normally under trickle charge from the primary source, an electro-responsive alarm, means responsive to failure of the primary source to disconnect the primary source from the secondary source'and from the electric circuit, means operable with the means responsive to failure of the primarysource to eifect operation of said electro-responsive alarm, means responsive to failure of the secondary source for short-circuiting a portion of the current limiting resistance, whereby a greater cm-rent than the trickle charge current may be supplied to the circuit from the primary soin'ce, means operable with the means responsive to failure of the secondary source to eifect operation of said electro-respo sive alarm including a connection to the electroresponsive alarm, and means to prevent injury to said electro-responsive alarm by the increased potential resulting when the secondary source fails comprising a current limiting in the aforesaid connection, said last named current limiting resistance fimctioning only when the electro-responsive alarm operates to indicate failure of the secondary source.

. HARRY CAMPBELL GRANT, Jr. 

